On the eve of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have two quarterbacks on their roster. Head coach Mike McCarthy has said he likes both Will Howard and Mason Rudolph and has been especially positive about Howard in his second NFL season.

McCarthy said during his pre-draft press conference that he was open to the idea of not only developing Howard but bringing in a rookie and developing them at the same time.

"We speak on it as the most important position in football and I think it's always important to try to add to it if you can," McCarthy said.

With 12 picks in the draft, the Steelers should have their pick of quarterback prospects aside from presumptive No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza. McCarthy has always built his offense around the quarterback position with guys like Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott so we won't be at all surprised if he hedged his bets in the draft and drafted another early.

Of the top quarterbacks in the draft, North Dakota State's Cole Payton and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier feel like the guys who are either most connected to the team or the team has shown the most interest in who could be mid-round options.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers HC Mike McCarthy open to a rookie quarterback